Systems and methods of detecting and identifying objects are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a method performed by one of a plurality of network nodes, with each network node having an optical sensor and being operable to wirelessly communicate with at least one other network node, comprises sending, by a network node over a wireless communication channel, to another network node, an indication associated with an object that is detected and identified by the network node based on one more images of that object that are captured by the optical sensor of the network node. Further, the detection and identification of the object is contemporaneous with the capture of the one or more images of that object. Also, the network node is operable to control a spatial orientation of the sensor so that the sensor has a viewing angle towards the object.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the spatial orientation of the optical sensor includes controlling a pan or tilt of the optical sensor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the focal length of the optical sensor is responsive to the controlling the spatial orientation of the optical sensor.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network nodes is operable as a wireless mesh network.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network nodes wirelessly communicate over a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) network.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is detected and identified within one second from the capture of the one or more images of the object.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network node is operable to distribute to the second network node at least a portion of processing to identify the object.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor includes a camera, with the camera being positioned above and in front of the retail shelf so that the viewing angle of the camera is down and towards the front of the retail shelf.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more captured images include one or more objects representing one or more retail items positioned in the first area.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the performing the object detection is responsive to determining that a processing power of the first network node is less than a processing power threshold associated with performing object detection of the object on the one or more images of the object.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 17, 2019
January 17, 2023
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.